Salmon Angling Update

Northern Region

River Drowes

There were showers of sleet and snow over the week and this ensured that the river fell only slightly over the week and river levels remained good. At present the gauge at the Four Masters Bridge is reading a little over 6. There were a limited number of rods fishing over the week with most of these fishing at the weekend. There were 2 fresh salmon hooked and lost on Monday on spinners from the Eel Weir & the Crooked Hole. The third salmon of the season was caught on Tuesday by Roy Graham, a 71 year old regular angler. The fish weighed some 8½lb and was not weighed since it was released again. It was caught from Thomas’s Pool on a fly.

13/01 One more fish was reported yesterday. Josef Rossen had a 9lbs fish on a copper spoon from the Long Hole, below Lennox’s Bridge yesterday afternoon. A double figure fish was lost after more than 15 minutes from the Crooked Hole on a size 6 Cascade earlier today. Water levels have changed little and the gauge is now at just under 0.65 metres.
Today was very mild and dry. The forecast for the weekend is for wet and very windy weather especially for Saturday.Drowes Salmon Fishery Web:www.drowessalmonfishery.comTel: 071 9841055.

Trout Angling Update

no report this week

COARSE ANGLING

Coarse Angling Update

NCFFI National Team Manager

Mark Theedom has the unanimous backing of the NCFFI executive going forward for adoption by the 2011 AGM as National Team Manager. Mark is the only name before the AGM on the 22nd of Jan. and his appointment as team manager for the next three seasons will begin a new era for the Federation. Already a new and welcome atmosphere of cooperation exists and the executive, working with Mark and other experienced internationals, has produced a draft framework for international managements and teams. This framework seeks to balance the rights of all members with the imperative of sporting success.

Mark has over 30 years of competitive angling experience and is originally from Essex in the UK. After a spell with various match groups he was asked to join the Essex County team. Mark then moved to Enniskillen, Co. Fermanagh sixteen years ago and opened Cloughbally Mill Angling Centre in the heart Enniskillen with his business partner and good friend, Jack Tisdall. He is now the main distributor for Tubertini in the UK and Ireland, and is highly respected in the world of angling throughout Ireland and further afield.

Mark has extensive international experience and has represented Ireland on many occasions both at club level and representing the NCFFI.

Mark has won and has framed in over 250 open coarse angling competitions on a large variety of venues with a variety methods, his Irish festival wins include The Monaghan Pairs, both the Belturbet and Ramor Festivals and the 200 peg annual King of Clubs event.

Mark’s tenure as manager will see him take full control of international team affairs over the next three years, he will be charged with looking after the Irish teams to attend the World Championships, World Feeder Championships, the Celtic Cup and if circumstances allow a Junior team. In addition to managing the teams he will also be working together with the NCFFI executive committee to secure funding for the team, to run out the remainder of the squad qualifiers for the 2011 teams and start the process for the other the qualifiers which will take place this year.

Mark is looking forward to taking on the manager’s position and building on the good recent results of the Irish team.

A Letter from Mark Theedom

I am looking forward to putting the teams together for this and next years International events. A number of qualifiers will be organised over the next few months for the Float and Feeder events in Italy and next year’s events in the Czech Republic and Spain plus a squad for the Celtic cup.
I would hope to draw a line under any past grievances anglers have had with selection etc.and I will be working with the NCFFI to create a fair and inclusive selection process making sure we have the best anglers available to go to these events. It is my aim to create a nucleus of anglers working together to try and put some good results together over the coming years. The new feeder championships should be very interesting and hopefully we will have a head start on some of the other Countries. I feel very proud to have represented Ireland as an angler and I am looking forward to being manager with the same pride and commitment. So make sure you put your name forward for the qualifiers if you want to be involved.

Best wishes and tight lines

Mark Theedom

Shannon Region

Good bags of roach at Ballinasloe

Photo: Leigh Maitland badgered his mates to fish Ballinasloe Harbour and they had terrific sport.

Irish angling fanatic Leigh Maitland badgered seven of his mates from Ballaghaderreen to fish Ballinasloe Harbour – located on of the River Suck system – and despite having to break the ice to get started, they had terrific sport.

Having cut through a covering of two inches and created lots of disturbance, the lads expected poor catches and yet Leigh managed to win with 42lb of prime roach in just four hours!

The fishing was totally nuts”, he told Active Irish Angling. “I averaged around 50 fish each hour by fishing with a 5 metre whip and two red maggots on a size 14 hook.

Northern Ireland

[10/01/11]

Erne Anglers Float Only league

21 anglers fished the latest round of the Float Only league which was fished in glorious conditions on the Woodford River Marina at No 3 Lock. All anglers caught in what turned out to be a good match despite having to break the surface ice before the start.

Individual winner (on his birthday) was Gavin Brown (Kesh) with 6.180Kgs of Roach and Perch from the jetty section. Runner up was John Heys (Belturbet) with 76 Perch for 4.320Kgs on peg 16, Nick Harrison (Arva) was third with 4.050Kgs from peg 3.

The middle section was won by Keith Murphy (Irvinestown) with 3.950Kgs on peg 10.The top of the league is now very close with Jack Tisdall (Ballinamallard) leading on 24pts, Tony Kersley (Ballycassidy) second on 23pts.

Nick Harrison and Brenton Sweeney (Cootehill) are tied in third on 22pts.

Next match in the league will be in 2 weeks time, this week sees the return of the Erne Anglers Any Method league book in as normal if you wish to fish.Jack Tisdale Email:jacktisdall@btinternet.com

Northern Region

Pike Hatrick in Co. Cavan

Some days it all just happens, there is no apparent reason but lady luck shines. An hour and a half late due to yours truly over sleeping, and a change of venue the result of an impromptu phone call, opened the door to a memorable pike fishing session on a small Co. Cavan water. January last year my fishing partner Gary Robinson landed two twenty pound+ Co. Monaghan pike in two casts, that is some feat. I didn’t reach those heights, but three pike in three casts does come close in the memory stakes.

Photo: Gary Robinson with a 15.lb 10.oz Co. Cavan, Ireland, pike.

Shercock, Co. Cavan is surrounded by productive pike and coarse fishing waters of varying size. When it comes to catching pike small waters can fare better due to the hot spots being more defined. A phone call to Peadar O’Brien elicited a very welcome piece of information which resulted in a change of venue while also proving to be extremely accurate. A well known small water indeed, but Gary and I now had some vital local information with which to unlock its secrets.

Photo: A well conditioned 12.lb 10.oz County Cavan pike.

Fishing into a deep hole Gary and I chose to dead bait with fresh rainbow trout and frozen lamprey while lure fishing the shoreline alongside. Casting a whole rainbow (minus tail to prevent spinning on retrieve) thirty metres out I commenced working a storm roach lure sink and draw style. Letting the lure hit the bottom a lift and two winds of the reel handle, BANG, fish on. This pike was game making strong runs left and right before succumbing to the net after a five minute fight. Weighing 15. lb 10.oz a great start.

Deciding to check the bait rod, no sooner had the retrieve commenced then a violent tug signaled pike number two. Feisty but definitely not as strong after a short battle a well conditioned 12.lb 10.oz Cavan pike was netted and safely returned to the water. It is very important to have all the right equipment set up and to hand when practicing catch and release with pike. Gary Robinson knows the form, these fish were in good hands.

Rebaiting, recasting, and returning to lure fishing first cast in BANG, a fish of eight pounds returned. Thirty six pounds of pike in three casts, that is good fishing by any standards. After that proceedings became more leisurely, however fish were still showing interest with three more pike to the net and a couple of dropped runs for the afternoon. The tally was split 50/50 between lures and bait, a feature though was that two of the dead baits were taken on the retrieve, very interesting!

Photo: A jack pike is carefully released.

The day had been mild and overcast, threatening to rain but not. A fresh north west breeze died out towards evening flattening the lake surface dimpled now by rising coarse fish. Close to five pm Gary and I called it a day. The lake had been good to us and there is no doubt that we will return. Word is the bream fishing is good, what better magnet.Ashley HaydenWeb:www.anirishanglersworld.com